Communication Tools for Knowledge Management and Learning

Maria Christina Dueas

2012

The views expressed in this presentation are the views of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian Development Bank, or its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this presentation and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The countries listed in this presentation do not imply any view on ADBs part as to sovereignty or independent status or necessarily conform to ADBs terminology.

Knowledge Management
Knowledge management is about providing the right knowledge to the right people at the right time, and helping them apply it in ways that improve organizational performance.
Knowledge Enables action Has explicit and tacit dimensions Treated as resource whose value grows when shared

Knowledge Management Goals

Enable faster and better decision making Make it easy to find relevant knowledge and resources Avoid making the same mistakes twice Convey important information widely and quickly Accelerate delivery of knowledge products and services Make scarce expertise broadly available Make the organizations good practices reusable Create conditions for innovation

Communication
Is essential in any knowledge management initiative
Involves the who, why, when, where, and how of conveying and receiving knowledge. Comes in oral, written, and non-verbal forms Uses various models for understanding

Sample Communication Models

Getting it Together in ADB

How we combine communication and knowledge management in ADB

Channels and Tools

Face-to-Face Training/workshop Meetings Speaking engagements Informal encounters Print Memos Reports Publications Collaterals Web Internet/ intranet Blogs E-newsletters/ alerts Podcasts Social media

Multimedia Video-documentaries Flash animation learning tools

Audiovisual Exhibits Digital signage Powerpoint presentations

Broadcast Radio Television

Channels and Tools: Face-to-Face

Internal and external audiences Messages, targeted

Communication process two-way

Channels and Tools: Print

Internal and external audiences Messages, mostly targeted at a wide range of audiences Communication process both oneway and two-way

Channels and Tools: Web

Internal and external audiences Broad-stroke messages

Communication, mostly one-way; feedback is appreciated but not always required

Channels and Tools: Multimedia

Internal and external audiences Messages, targeted

Communication, mostly one-way; feedback is appreciated but not always required

Channels and Tools: Audiovisual

Internal and external audiences Messages, primarily targeted

Communication process mostly two-way

Channels and Tools: Broadcast

Internal and external audiences Messages, mostly general

Communication process one-way

Interview with Channel NewsAsia on the power of storytelling in the workplace

Other Considerations
Objectives: What do you want to achieve with the exercise?
influence a decision ask for a response provide information

encourage action
increase awareness build consensus change behavior something else?

Audiences:

Who are you speaking to? What do they know/ believe/ feel? What arguments will work with them? What channels reach them best?

Other Considerations
Timing and intensity

Timeline/ deadline Approach, i.e., media blitz or staged Opportunities to piggyback on events/ campaigns Updates on messages Need to seek inputs or feedback from audiences

Speaking engagements

E-newsletters/ alerts

Informal encounters

Training/seminars

Periodic/ Intermittent

Continuous

Once

Website updates

CoP meetings

TV interview

Planner

Publications

Challenges for Communicators

Less context setting, more performance information

Treat tools as enablers; dont tie yourself to them Facilitate dialogue among collaborators; dont try to be the main supplier of knowledge

Communication and Knowledge Management:

Separated at birth, yet joined at the hip

Knowledge Management Center

Maria Christina Dueas

Knowledge Management Officer Knowledge Management Center Regional and Sustainable Development Department Asian Development Bank
knowledge@adb.org www.adb.org/knowledge-management www.facebook.com/adbknowledgesolutions www.scribd.com/knowledge_solutions www.twitter.com/adbknowledge